#Year30

I turned the big 3-0 last month. If I said I was excited about turning 30, I would be lying. Days leading up to my birthday I felt physically sick to my stomach at the thought of turning 30. Omg I felt like such a failure, I had not achieved a quarter of the things I wanted to do. I remember telling a friend that I felt that end of 20s, end of a decade fatigue. 29 was just a LOOOOOONG year to say the very least; so whilst I really wanted it to end, I was scared of turning 30 BUT 17 days into 30 and I am loving it.

When I say God showed up and showed off on my birthday, HE DID JUST THAT! Man I am still in awe and overwhelmed by everything that happened. Here I am sitting in Nairobi Kenya as part of my birthday celebrations. I honestly thought that I was going to have a bad birthday because I did not have the money to throw the big elaborate 30th party that I always dreamed of but God had other plans.

On the day I received a text message from my best friend informing me that she was taking me out for my birthday and that I should dress up. I screamed! I wasn’t going to spend my birthday at home after all. Anyway we went to Teta in Chisipite, my favourite restaurant in Harare. The first time I went there, I said to the person I was with, ‘I can see myself having my 30th here, I really love the setup.” Little did I know as innocent as that was, I was speaking things into the future. I had coffee and my absolute favourite CARROT CAKE, like could the day get any better. We spent the whole day just talking; it was so simple yet exactly what I needed! As if that wasn’t enough I got home to discover that my Aunt had bought me my favourite Zim fast food for dinner. I walked into the kitchen and screamed when I saw the box of Chicken Inn. Yes I love my food, #FoodIsBae. I then spent the rest of the evening replying the beautiful birthday messages I received that day. One of those messages I responded to informed me that my twin and I were going out for dinner the following night with a mutual friend of yours.

The following day was a Saturday. Around lunch time the gate intercom rang and I answered it absentmindedly thinking it was the friend who had said was coming over; only for me to open the curtain and realise it was my friend from Cape Town who by the way had told me she wasn’t coming to Zim anytime soon, like what a crazy birthday surprise. Shortly after she arrived another friend arrived and I was immediately informed that she had a video to show me. I was so anxious, I had no idea what this video was. Anyway I connected the laptop to the tv and watched the most beautiful birthday messages my friends had made for me. At the end of I cried when they announced that their birthday present to me was a plane ticket to Kenya to visit another friend in the same circle of friends. My friend screamed “you’re going to Kenya.” I asked “WHAT DO YOU MEAN I AM GOING TO KENYA?” She responded “that’s our birthday gift to you.” In that moment, I broke down and cried! I was so overwhelmed to the point that I had no words. My friend from Cape Town commented “this is the first time I have seen you speechless.” I spent the rest of the day shaking my head just saying wow wow wow.

Evening came and whilst we were getting ready to be picked up, I received a text message from a friend apologizing for not making it for the dinner. At that point I was very suspicious because as far as I was concerned it was a dinner for three. I then realised there must have been something special planned so I quickly changed cause even though I cute looked, it was not a 30th dinner worthy outfit. Anyway our friend came and we drove to the restaurant. As soon as we walked into the restaurant our friends screamed SURPRISE!!! Man I was once again so overwhelmed and left speechless and just started laughing looking around the table at the people who were present.

So here I am enjoying birthday celebration number 3 in a foreign country, I never could have dreamed nor imagined this is how my 30th birthday would turn out. I feel so blessed and I am grateful. This was the best birthday ever! Everything was so perfect and beyond my dreams. I feel so refreshed and relaxed and ready to take on year 30 and whatever it has in store for me.

Here’s to loving deeper, less afraid and dreaming bigger. Here’s to year 30!

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2 thoughts on “#Year30”

Happy Birthday Colleen! This sounds like a blessed beyond measure birthday! Your picture is lovely. That’s what great friends are for; and they certainly do love you. I think you have accomplished a lot, fashion runway model, blogger and social advocate and speaker. So awesome! #FoodIsBae